Chapter 197: The Golden Decade and the Yamaguchi Rebellion
(Note: From this point onwards, the exact dates would be removed in order to streamline the events attached to a year. This format would narrate the less interesting events concisely and would only provide extensive explanations for the more significant events.)
The years after the First Sino-Korean war is held as the "First Japanese Golden Age" wherein the relative peace in the region, as well as the advantageous position of Japan as a regional powerhouse yielded an economic, social and cultural stability in Asia. It will only be cut short due to the "Yamaguchi Rebellion" of 1576.
[1567]
- The end of the war between China and Japan produced the necessary spark for another economic renaissance where innovation and efficiency became every inventor and corporation's aim.
- The Japanese forces that participated in the war returned with a heroes' welcome with some soldiers who found love in Korea bringing their spouses to Japan a few months later. While it was initially seen as an unnatural effect of the war, the interracial couples were warmly welcomed in Japan where they easily blended with the rest of the populace.
- While not exactly warm due to the difference in their culture and society, the relations between Japan and Joseon remained friendly. Korean tourists began visiting Japan which they mainly never set foot on prior to the war and found it to be a place vastly different from their homeland with one even saying that: "It was as if I came to a different world altogether. There was not a single place not illuminated by these so-called "light bulbs" and education is available to anyone regardless of their gender or social standing".
- General Himeji Kotori was once again relieved from her position in Kiko's armed forces but was not dismissed from being a retainer of the Iwasawa lordship. She was said to have stayed in her home prefecture of Myoko after her dismissal where she used the financial reward given to her to establish a "security training company" which was nothing more than the public face of her private military force dubbed as the "Shadow Brokers". While she was reportedly reprimanded about creating this force, it was said that its existence was disregarded as long as it wouldn't interfere with internal and international issues.
- The 7th Japanese National Baseball Cup ended with the victory of the Shinka Samurais who beat the defending champion, Kiko Kirins, in a tightly contested battle. It was only in the 8th inning after the star pitcher of the Kirin team, Hideo Tanaka, suffered from the exhaustion of pitching for 7 innings straight, that the Samurais bounced back and gained enough bases to defeat their opponent. This victory is said to have been used afterwards by Lady Kusanagi to annoy Lord Iwasawa during their meetings, although there is no proof of such.
- During Christmas eve, Naka castle invited many influential people to a Christmas party where they also presented Prince Miyuki and Haruo, and Princess Mariko. As there was no lack of reports in newspapers and radio shows about the gathering, it was mostly seen as a get-together of friends and family to reminisce about the past and celebrate the holidays.
[1568]
- The year began with a tragedy in Europe after the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was assassinated in his sleep. Sensing that this would start a war of succession between the kingdoms and princely states affiliated with the empire, Prussia and Britain quickly declared themselves as neutral parties in the conflict while almost the entire continent descended into chaos. Japan would watch the war closely both through their satellites and war correspondents embedded into Prussian and British observers.
- The "Computer Race" would begin between the Dori Electronics corporation, Yamato Silicon Consortium and the SINAG Company of the Philippines. At the first year, Dori Electronics would be the clear winner by sales volume but at the end of the year, the two other companies would quickly close the gap. During this time, the Chito-S2 computer would be the most prolific computer set in the consumer market.
- At the age of 11, Crown Prince Iwasawa Miyuki would have his first public televised appearance after he gave the opening message for that year's National Baseball cup. He would also throw the ceremonial "first pitch" of the season, with his 8-year-old younger brother Haruo, taking the "first base" using his elder brother's pitch.
- Meanwhile, Princess Mariko would have her first televised appearance 3 days after her brothers, during an interview in the Kusanagi estate, where she was seen riding a horse together with her godmother, Lady Kusanagi Kyoko. When asked later why she was seen together with Lady Kusanagi, both Lord Hiroshi and Lady Chiyo would say that "all kids have to see different faces every once in a while. Besides, Lady Kusanagi is her favorite godmother."
- The situation in Europe worsened after the succession conflict for the Holy Roman Empire bore four very powerful and influential potential heirs who each have very strong claims to the throne. Through all of this, Britain, Prussia and Japan maintained their neutrality as they watched from the sidelines while the "electoral empire" was torn by war.
- The conflicts in Europe worsened the situation at the colonies of the respective European nations both in the New World and in Africa. As demands for precious metals such as gold and silver were required to bankroll the conflicts, the inter-Atlantic slave trade ramped up to supply "disposable manpower" to the mines. The same went for the westward push in North America where the native tribes of the great plains harrowingly held back wave after wave of colonists who tried to push into their lands, turning many of these waves into massacres. In retaliation, the established colonies sent militias to drive off these native tribes, some of which ended up as massacres of the same degree.
- Sensing an opportunity after seeing all the conflict around them, the Dutch government initiated another attempt for dialogue with Japan for the sake of ending the conflict between them and eliciting the same kind of military pact that they formed with Britain and Prussia. Japan, through their British embassy, would give the reply, "we will think about it".
- The House of Lords and Commons, through a bi-cameral meeting, changed a rule for the Samurai caste following the relative peace inside and outside of the country. The ancient rule of "being forbidden to do any trade other than war" was redefined as "being forbidden to do any kind of work unless it's to the service of a lord who one has sworn loyalty to". With this change, further backed by the Shogunate, the Samurai caste was permitted to become formal government officials, stewards of historical sites and overseers of military production plants inside their Daimyo's territory, works that were formerly considered forbidden for them to partake in. To this day, this change is held as a critical factor for the longevity and stability of the Samurai caste well into the early modern era.
- A television drama adaptation of the critically acclaimed "Men of Okpo" novel series, which recounts the still fresh Sino-Korean war, was aired for 72 episodes in the span of 4 seasons. This show was a co-production of a Japanese and Korean team, with most scenes shot at the exact sites where they happened and starring actors from both nations. The greatest of these actors was admiral Yi Soon-Jin who played as herself in the show and became the center of the fandom's interest. During the yearly Academy of Arts Awards held in Hitachi, she would win "Best Actress in a television series", the first non-Japanese to win the award.
- Yi Soon-Jin's victory, not only in the war but also in the Academy of Arts Awards was seen as a point of pride for her home nation, and in Joseon, she further inspired women to strive for fairer treatment and opportunities. Interestingly, illegally reproduced film reels of "Men of Okpo" would proliferate in Joseon where it is played in underground film theatres to a predominantly female audience. To this day, it is unknown how and why these illegally reproduced film reels was never subjected to strict cease-and-desist and copyright infringement complaints from the show's producers.
- During the week before Christmas, a group of men which includes Iwasawa Hiroshi, Shimura Nobisuke, Akizuki Minori, Fumikage Ryuusui, Ayasaki Ayato, Amanogawa Sora and various other male friends of theirs would take their favorite motorized vehicles (motorcycles, cars, even private tanks and planes) and tour the entirety of Japan alongside a small television crew to record them. This small get-together trip that they thought of as a one-off to enjoy each other's company, show off their vehicle collections and just have fun, became a regular happening after the audience demanded more. This semi-regular show would later be named "The Crew", where they would review various vehicles and get into shenanigans with each other that humanized them in the new public eye.
(T/N: Just think of this as Top Gear. That's basically the idea behind it. Yes, their wives and sisters were annoyed about it at times, and yes, they usually got into very comedic skits, mostly thought up by Hiroshi and Sora. What is widely considered as its best episode was when all of them tried to have a multi-course dinner inside a truck cabin that is travelling through the mountainside road with the sharpest twists and turns in Japan. It was obvious that they became soaked with broth, gravy and wine after this happened.)
[1569]
- The Computer Race between the three largest computer companies raged on, with the Dori Electronics corporation taking a waning lead over their other competitors, mainly against the Yamato Silicon Consortium. While the two Japanese companies battled over the lead in hardware capabilities, the SINAG Company would dominate the software space with the launch of its operating system that can be run in any machine, as well as a number of highly optimized programs that serve a dual purpose as production tools and entertainment.
- The conquests in the New World entered a new level of chaos and bloodshed after the Portuguese governors of the South American colonies bickered over the opportunity to become a Viceroy. With their private armies sourced from native warriors and colonist mercenaries alike, they would wage skirmishes and sabotage runs into each other's territories with the aim of destabilizing and disrupting their rivals' lands and progress of conquest. This would greatly slow down their westward push into the rainforest and the mountainous regions, as well as provide multiple opportunities for the French and Dutch to interfere with the region and take pieces of territories from both the Portuguese and Spanish.
- In a sudden twist in their decisions after they were defeated and was driven out of their former colony in south-east Asia, the Spanish returned to the Philippines with the intention to reconcile with the nation and its people. Although skeptical, the Filipinos accepted the truce and permitted the formation of trade outposts in their islands on the condition that they will receive tariff taxes and open trading agreements with the Spanish traders. This was negotiated upon and later agreed to by both sides.
- After a long period of being held in house arrest, Prince Mao Jun Hie was tried for his failure in the war against Joseon and was disowned and exiled to a far-away province in China by the emperor himself. This failure and its brutal punishment solidified the image of the Mao Emperor as someone who does not permit failure from those around him, turning the entire Chinese imperial court into a negative opinion towards him.
- A new record in Japan's economic rise was reached during the third yearly quarter. Due to an increase in the local and international trade, especially among the technological industry, Japan's GDP rose by 34% in the span of two years after the conclusion of the Sino-Korean war. For the first time in history, Japan had a 99% employment rate and about the same high levels in their educational attainment and public satisfaction. It was also the first nation whose government carried no "bad debts", making fiscal and public stability high.
- The Okinawa region's request to form their own autonomous government was discussed once again in Hitachi. While most of the House of Commons agreed with the move and the Shogunate supported it as the primary backer, the House of Lords was halved in their opinions, barring the progress of the decision for a few more months until another session for it was to be held.
- Britain and Prussia received their first formal technological exchange from Japan after a fleet of Japanese civilian ships arrived in their shores to hold a simultaneous techno-cultural fair on both nations. Included in these fairs are presentations regarding medical techniques and technologies, engineering marvels such as the steam engine and electric powered bulbs and appliances, and mechanical inventions such as the typewriter and mechanical calculator. Both royal courts received gifts from the diplomats in the form of these mechanical implements, which the monarchs ordered to be studied and if possible, recreated. In the end, only the typewriter was able to be imitated in a simplified and less durable form due to a lack of materials of sufficient quality as well as the machinery required to produce such detailed parts.
- Indonesia and Malaysia, both eyeing the meteoric rise of the Philippines in terms of economic and cultural power, began to seek out relations with Japan. By the end of the year, a few loans were given to the two nations in order to jump start their production-based economies, and consultants that double as diplomats were sent to help out in these projects.
[1570]
- A new television show comprised of 16 home cooks who would battle it out to become bona fide chefs began airing in Kiko's Channel 7. Led by a trio of renown master chefs, which included Naka castle's former chief chambermaid Asada Kahono, current chief chambermaid Kurayama Kaguya, and the most famous and acclaimed chef in Japan, Kurayama Rie, it became one of the most viewed shows in television during its evening primetime slot. By the end of the season, the three finalists were judged not only by the judges but also the Kiko Lordship family and the Shogunate family.
- The Computer Race between the three largest computer companies entered another heated period after it was discovered that the Yamato Silicon Consortium's main user base of the government sector, which includes offices and data centers, are running the more optimized and user-friendly system software from the SINAG Corporation on the computers purchased from them. The same went for the consumer devices from the Dori Electronics company who had their operating systems wiped and replaced by SINAG-sourced software. The two companies would lodge protests against the company, citing possible violations to their patented corporate secrets as the SINAG company's software is "too well-built for hardware that they don't own". This case would be a long legal battle for all three companies.
- The Kingdom of Joseon would request a formal technological exchange with Japan for the first time. Imitating the techno-cultural fair that they held in the friendly European countries, the exhibit would be held in Busan where the same technologies were displayed. In particular, the Joseon scholars and technicians would be drawn towards the engineering marvels, citing their interest to purchase licenses and designs for the steam engine and electric implements, something that would be discussed by both politicians and businessmen in Hitachi for a while.
- At the age of 14, Princess Iwasawa Mariko would have her first movie appearance in the film titled "Ten thousand Cherry Blossoms" as the main female lead. The film would be highly acclaimed and begin the journey of the princess in the movie industry. As if making a move after learning his child's talent and desire to be in the film industry, Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi would pass several regulation laws in Kiko and propose broadened forms of it to the House of Lords, aiming to safeguard actors and workers in the industry against exploitation and the so-called "dark underbelly" of the industry.
- Lord Iwasawa's proposals regarding the emerging showbiz industry would be supported by the Shogun's wife, Amanogawa Chiasa, who did the same years ago in Yamato province. In the end, a culture of "safe fandom" would be set in Japan where showbiz stars and workers would have a "work persona" and "public persona", dividing these two as their own separate lives. There would also be a dedicated policing force for public figures (including but not limited to actors/actresses) which will both protect against and watch for criminal acts amongst these individuals.
- Not to be left behind, Crown Prince Iwasawa Miyuki would show off his own personal interests in the field of computer technology when he appeared in an episode of "The Crew" alongside his father Hiroshi and younger brother Haruo, where the three built gaming computers for each other and later played the sandbox video game "Hello World!" in multiplayer. At the episode, the Crown Prince was seen nimbly building the computer he gifted to his father and brother, as well as installing a customized operating system that he coded by himself to let the software use more of the installed hardware.
- In the same episode, it was noted by the audience how even in a young age, when his elder brother and father let him lead them on an adventure in the game, Prince Haruo was a natural-born leader and tactician on the level of his father. This further backed the rumors surrounding Prince Haruo's "fate" to become the next Lord of Kiko, something that the Iwasawa clan refused to comment on.
- A new record year for profit was declared by the Edogawa Corporation after their businesses in China finally bore its long-awaited revenues. From processed and finished metal products to foodstuffs that used to only be reserved for the wealthy, the loop of bought and sold products was solidified to the massive advantage of the company. Making a name for itself as maker of more durable and dependable metal products, the Edogawa corporation sold metal tools and products at a scale similar to that of a pre-war preparation. The same went for the company's food production and distribution businesses, with Chinese citizens who only knew about high-quality premium-milled white rice from festival giveaways, now able to afford a sack of it after the Edogawa corporation flooded the local markets with it.
- For a few weeks, the economic situation of China remained as it was until the trade deficit became apparent and the imperial government became involved. As high-quality Japanese products became traded more than their locally sourced counterparts, a large part of the profits came out of China's economic circle, forming a negative feedback loop where money that was minted to facilitate trade went out of their borders. Although magistrates and governors tried to hold back the Japanese traders and companies from holding too much of their money, they were unsuccessful and only ended up forming a promise to not bring the coins and gold plates outside of China, something that was circumnavigated by an ever-inflating "promise to pay back at a later date (i.e: I.O.U)" that the country can never manage to pay back.
- The Chinese emperor would have another fit after hearing about the news of his country facing a possible fiscal collapse due to the lack of coins and other tangible monetary implements, as well as the "I.O.U" that his minister of trade thought up in a panic that is now becoming an ever-looming debt bubble. In his fit of rage, he would order for the execution of the trade minister as well as everyone involved in the making and passing of the trade deal. After this purge, the Chinese Emperor took it upon himself to fix everything and would demand to meet with a Japanese ambassador, something that Japan agreed to by sending an unexpected envoy, Shogun Amanogawa Sora himself. This meeting was agreed to be held in Daiping, the Chinese imperial capital, at springtime when the harbor can be opened after the ice within the port melts.
- For the first time since their first encounter during Japan's operation in the colonial-occupied South-east Asian countries, Portuguese and Spanish envoys would meet with the Japanese at the Shimoda harbor of Fuku wherein they talked about a formal end of the conflict between their countries. As all of this happened within their border and they have the best envoys in Japan, it fell on the hands of the Yamaguchi clan to facilitate these negotiations with the two countries.
- Another Christmas special episode of "The Crew" was made where Lord Iwasawa and the other members of their group went on trips all around Japan to give gifts and play with children during the day after Christmas. After this episode, it became a tradition for someone with the finances and the "spirit of giving" to go around and give gifts to children during the holidays, most of which were businessmen who does as such as way to thank their hometowns.
[1571]
- The Japanese technology exchange with Joseon became successful as the Korean scholars and engineers, receiving technical classes in Kiko College of Technical Studies, came back to their country and made the first steam engine of Korea that they named "Geobug-I" or Turtle, due to its round shape and the five intake and exhaust ports that follow the same placement as a turtle shell. This steam engine, although small in both size and power, became the first steppingstone to the technological development of steam power in the kingdom from thereon.
- A shipment of premium fertilizers, high-yield wheat seeds and high-quality farming equipment such as plows and seed dispersers, arrived both in Britain and Prussia from the Edogawa corporation under a government-to-government trade deal. These tools and supplies were used in the farmlands owned by the respective royal families as a trial run of what they consider to be "untested and unproved methods".
- Under the guidance of the consultants sent alongside the supplies, the ground would be plowed even before the winter ice has melted, something that the local farmers scoffed at until they saw the horse-drawn steel plows breaking the ground with relative ease due to its specially engineered shape. The same would go for the high-yield hybrid seedlings which formed extremely dense bushels of wheat by late summer, much faster than the native wheat variant that also suffered under a relatively bad fungus infestation, something that the hybrid wheat easily resisted.
- After hearing how vast of a difference there was between the two, both Britain and Prussia would order more farming implements and supplies, boosting their local food sufficiency and independence rate. This was eyed by France after hearing from their trade minister that the two countries did not order grain from their merchants. A spy would later report about these "unusual machinations" and "wheat stalks as dense as a sheep's wool", something that the French royal court ordered to be investigated posthaste.
- The meeting between Chinese Emperor Mao Xiang Dan and Shogun Amanogawa Sora commenced at the final week of winter, a date scoffed at by the Chinese officials who said that "the Japanese general, in his foolhardy desire for immediacy for the meeting, would be crushed by the ice within the gulf." Little did they know that the Shogun wouldn't be arriving by ship but by a helicopter flown from the Japanese Battleship Nagato. This vehicle, which those who didn't listen or believed the stories of the veterans of the Sino-Korean war, caused a panic as it landed and dropped off the Shogun and his small team of diplomats right at the courtyard of the capital city's plaza. Some of these people who would run off in panic are ministers and magistrates, which would disappoint the emperor enough to order to have them fired from their positions or beaten half-dead later on.
- Emperor Mao Xiang Dan and Shogun Amanogawa Sora would exchange cursory formalities before slowly inching towards more important matters such as fishing rights disputes along the waters south of Okinawa, the possible rewriting of the trade agreements between their two countries, as well as acting as an in-between of China towards the Koreans in the reformation of relations between their countries. Finally, the main issue of the "trading bubble" was brought up and it was said that both leaders refused to back down in their demands and compromises.
- Emperor Mao, understanding that he cannot use forceful methods in order to force his subjects to stop buying Japanese products or driving out the Japanese merchants, tried to reason with Shogun Amanogawa, stating that it is hurting both of their countries' interests. He would further back this up by stating that according to his scholars' calculations, if their current situation continues, China wouldn't be able to pay back the Japanese companies without compromising the internal stockpile of coinage and monetary bills, which Japan would suffer from anyway due to an oversupply of said precious metals in their economy.
- In response, Shogun Amanogawa was noted to have given the Emperor and his court two choices to resolve the issue. He agreed to mediate for the resolution of the "trading bubble" by taking on the debt as well as regulating the rampant importing and trading of Japanese goods. In exchange, he wanted to resolve the fishing rights disputes by buying the sea territory as an exclusive Japanese territorial water. Emperor Mao would be advised to not give a conclusive answer and postpone his reply after meeting with this court. Still, as a gesture of goodwill, Shogun Amanogawa would lodge a proposal to limit exports with China which was accepted in a matter of days. With that, the first meeting between China and Japan became inconclusive.
- Just as China was recovering from the unrestricted trading with Japan, both Spain and Portugal would flood China with goods from the Americas such as spices, exotic fruits and most notably, narcotic drugs in the form of cannabis and cocaine. Learning their lesson with Japan, the Chinese imperial government would seize these products immediately and ban the foreign traders from trading in China. However, this did nothing but give birth to an extensive black market wherein the contrabands were smuggled through pirate routes and distributed inland by government officials receiving their own cut in the profits. This became a massive headache for the imperial government.
- To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the end of the Sengoku period, a 6-hour long documentary portioned into 8 episodes that each last 45-minutes, was made by the Imperial Museum of History, narrating all the events in the over 100-year long civil war across the country. All over Japan, memorial events were held in honor of the departed, and recreations of notable battles were performed by historical recreationist groups. During that month, interest in the period would proliferate amongst animation studios and the film industry.
- Princess Mariko would become the leading actress of an award-winning movie titled "The Rooster Race", a drama-comedy about an isolated village during the Sengoku period who became stuck in the feud of two rival clans. As the two clans were facing their own wars in other fronts, it became decided that the leadership over the village would be decided by a race between roosters to be held in autumn. However, the peasant girl (played by Princess Mariko) who was left with the roosters specially trained for racing, mixed the chickens with her own herd of hens that ended up draining the roosters of their "seed", eventually killing them. This ensued a scramble in the village to either find new racing roosters or train their own roosters to race. While the initial plot was filled to the brim with comedic quips and scenes, the latter half of the film showed off the bloody truth of the Warring States period when the two rival clans decided to disregard the outcome of the race and fight a battle for the village that ended up with many of the villagers dead. To this day, it is considered one of the best anti-war and historical fiction films in Japanese film history.
- The situation of the colonies in North America once again worsened after a British and French militia force encountered each other and had a brief skirmish after the two sides refused to step aside to allow the other to cross a bridge. This would later be dubbed as the "Elk Point Bridge incident", one of the contributing factors to the instability of colonies in the continent.
- After a very long and protracted war, the Holy Roman Empire finally had a leader in the form of Emperor Nicholas VIII, his legitimacy in not only based on him being the sole survivor in the four initial heirs and being elected by the other princely states, but he was also crowned by the Pope. While the other European countries were glad to have the continent in peace again, the new emperor wasn't liked by the other monarchs who saw him as an opportunist who cannot keep his promises after learning that it was through repeated backstabbings that he survived and won in the succession conflict.
- At the age of 61, King James of Britain would peacefully pass away in his sleep after succumbing to his terminal-stage colon cancer. It was noted that after receiving that diagnosis from Japanese doctors who gave him an estimate of 1 year to left to live, he decided to not bother with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, instead requesting for strong painkillers in order to do his duties and enjoy his life. While the public mourned for his death, calling him a "great and caring monarch", in the depths of the royal court, almost every noble is at each other's throats regarding who would take the throne since a Crown Prince has not been decided between the three princes who each had their own issues.
- The eldest prince, Duke Harold, is a serial womanizer who has filled his ducal palace with his harem of concubines, to the point that despite having the best chance to become the next king, no noble house wanted to wed their daughters to him, barring his chances to become a king. The second prince, Duke Hansel, is an overt homosexual and brutal misogynist noted to have both sexual and romantic relationships with every man in his circle and even eyes young men by frequenting coffee shops and pubs around universities, while viscerally loathing the presence of women, stating that he doesn't want to interact with the opposite sex and wouldn't think twice of cutting up any woman who'd try to talk to him. Lastly, the youngest of the three, Prince Liam, is a 4-year-old toddler who was kept in a Scottish castle alongside his mother who was supposed to be wed to the King of France but ran away and negotiated to be wed instead to King James. Due to these issues, it became a point of intense discussion if it would be wise to hand the throne to any of these three.
[1572]
- The Philippines, the only other country in the orient who has a level of technological prowess slightly below Japan, began a period of military arming after their industrial capability reached a point when focusing on military goods production would not affect civilian goods production. They would also form a tripartite relationship and alliance with their other south-east Asian neighbors, streamlining trading and technological research and development between Indonesia and Malaysia. This economic boom would also affect Japan who funded these developments through loans and partnerships.
- Korea will lay down their first train line powered by steam locomotives that ran from the royal capital of Hanseong to the economic capital of Busan. Carrying passengers and cargo, the train line would create a massive boom in both population density in the cities that surround the line's stations and the economic effect of fast transportation of goods. As a gesture of goodwill, Japan would send a team of consultants who gave lessons about managing the population density issues before they become a problem, as well as further expansions into the northern provinces.
- After learning of the British monarch's death, Prussia sent its Crown Prince and Japan sent Lord Hiroshi and Prince Haruo. Even with the very large distance between Japan and Europe, the father and son would arrive in England at the same day as the Prussian prince, largely because they rode a jet liner that Lord Hiroshi personally engineered, which can comfortably travel twice the spend of sound. The plane would first land in Prussia at the Japanese town where an airfield was constructed. After a welcoming party by the townsfolk, the two would join the Prussian Crown Prince in going to Britain to pay their respects to the departed king.
- After hearing that Lord Iwasawa is headed to Britain, the royal court would scramble to prepare a fitting welcome and accommodations for Lord Iwasawa and Prince Haruo. Five days after landing in Prussia and attending meetings in the Prussian royal court, the trio would head to Britain where they visited the preserved body of late King James to pay their respects. They would then be led to the most luxurious guest room in the royal palace that they politely accepted but would later turn it down after a few nobles, keen on forming connections with Lord Iwasawa, would send their daughters with little-to-no clothing to their bedroom, not knowing that the young prince was also staying there who saw the scene and was rushed out by his father to avoid him seeing the bare-skinned women. They would later stay in the Japanese Embassy until their departure back to Prussia and Japan three days later. Due to that incident, Lord Hiroshi would state that he didn't want to converse with Britain for a while, both to show his disappointment for the stunt, as well as drawing Japan into the brewing succession conflict in the kingdom.
- After a couple of years of legal disputes, the SINAG Corporation would be freed from all copyright infringement and unfair trade practice cases lodged against them. The special final hearing, personally attended by Misanagi Rinne as judge, had the deciding argument that the SINAG corporation simply supplied a product that fit the terms of the End User License Agreement perfectly. In the end, although they had to foot the bill for SINAG's legal fees, both the Dori and Yamato companies would "bury the hatchet" with their foreign rival, ending the Computer Race for good.
[1573]
- After much deliberation, the Dutch Parliament finally agreed to end the conflict with Japan and pay the reparation fees for their imprisoned sailors. By summer, the European sailors (including the bones of those who died during their stay in Japan) would arrive back in Europe with all kinds of stories and souvenirs from Japan. Since they know the language and customs, some of these sailors who are still willing to take to the seas were hired to become the go-to fleet for trips to Japan.
- After learning of the ploy done by some ambitious nobles to Lord Iwasawa, the Prime Minister of Britain, Lord Leonard Troy V. Gulliver, would send a belated formal apology to him through the embassy. He would later receive a response that the apologies are no longer necessary, but he intends to keep his country away from the brewing conflict in Britain. The letter would then state that Lord Iwasawa is aware of Sister Camilla Dormer's true identity as the late King's sibling and her holding the best position in the succession to the throne. While Lord Iwasawa intended to state this to tell them that "she will be safe here", the prime minister would mistake it as a statement that "we hold the spark that would light your country into a civil war".
- Several regions in India held by the British erupted into protests after the failure of the defense against a Chinese invasion in the north-eastern provinces. While the protests would be stifled by force, this would become the catalyst for an investigation about why China decided to attack. Spies to later find out that this isn't the Chinese Imperial army but instead, another armed force, and worse, they are armed with Korean-pattern semi-automatic firearms.
- Japanese economic growth reached an all-time high after a "web of industry" was formed between Japan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. For the first time in history, seamless trading between these countries was achieved and while they still held a certain degree of industrial independence, these countries would begin to specialize in a certain trade or industry, forming a regional trade market.
- After countless evidence of Japan's technological prowess was presented to the French royal court, the king ordered for the formation of a relationship with Japan. Knowing full well that they have no chance in trying to connect with them through the nearer Japanese embassy in Britain, the French envoy would instead be sent in the embassy in Prussia where the request was received and sent to Japan through fax machine. Similar to the prior case with the Dutch envoy, the French diplomat didn't expect to receive an immediate reply the morning after while he is preparing to go back to France.
[1574]
- After many rumors began to spread about it, a public announcement was finally given that proved that Crown Prince Iwasawa Miyuki has a found a girlfriend during his 2nd year in Kiko University. The young lady, belonging to a noble clan in Yamato prefecture, is named Takahashi Haruna. One year younger than him, she was seen as a sharp, sensible and demure woman who easily won over the favor of Lord Iwasawa and Lady Chiyo. Due to their genuine love for each other and the acceptance of his family, it was decided that they would be engaged by the end of the year and married after their graduation that would happen in the same year. (Note: Prince Miyuki is in a 5-year college program while Princess Haruna is in a 4-year college program. Their graduation would happen in the same year.)
- After a long and arduous effort, China would finally pay off the war reparations to Joseon, although one year later than agreed upon. Even though this was a violation of the terms, the delay was simply disregarded as an unfortunate inconvenience. With the end of the reparation period, the ownership of China's coast in the Yellow Sea was returned and the two sides entered a state of uneasy peace.
- Freed from the pressure of having to pay their reparations, as well as the stabilization of the trading between them and Japan, the Chinese Imperial government returned to focusing on internal peacekeeping and development. In one of these surveys, they would find out that a few frontier provinces were not sending taxes and reports back to the capital. While it was planned to have a magistrate sent there to investigate and resolve it, the ramping up of the smuggling of drugs by the Portuguese and Spanish took their attention and resources.
- After a lot of delays, the empty throne of Britain finally became a point of public contention, with various factions forming up behind the three princes who has a claim to it. Since all three of them have their own flaws and disadvantages, it then became a source of verbal conflict in the parliament about whether or not it would be wise to request the return of "Lady Theodora", something that would blow up the entire debate as almost everyone in the know amongst the parliament's MPs saw it as a "preposterous idea". Still, it was kept as a final possible solution.
- In a historical recreation of the Battle of Yukonami, Prince Haruo would play the part of his father, even leading the fabled "riverbed rescue" of Lady Kusanagi and Ayanami. Among those who bore witness to the almost perfect recreation of the scene was Ayanami Mitsuhide who noted that Haruo reminded her a lot of her first encounter with Lord Hiroshi.
- After much deliberation, the "trade bubble" between Japan and China was resolved by the agreement to have the waters south of Okinawa become Japanese territorial waters. Without missing a beat, Japanese naval ships would set sail to claim the numerous islands that dotted the sea, forming camps there meant to accommodate both fishing and military vessels.
- Headed by an enormous investment from the Edogawa corporation, the Japanese airline industry that formerly only used propeller planes, began to make use of jet liners, raising the demand for petroleum that now only powers a mere 3% of the national energy consumption. This raised concerns about reviving the abandoned oil drills in Alaska, but a nearer and more stable solution was found in the form of offshore drilling rigs in the newly acquired sea territory in the southern Japanese sea. By the end of the year, 3 oil rigs would be built at the sea, supplying the regulated national demand for oil.
- An investigation by the British colonial commissariat in India found out that the Korean-pattern rifles wielded by the skirmishers in the border were knock-offs after it was sent to Joseon alongside a Japanese intermediary. After it was proven that this didn't came from Korea, it was brought back to Japan for further investigation but would mysteriously disappear after arriving in the port of Tanegashima in Fuku prefecture.
[1575]
- At the age of 15, Prince Haruo would give the opening speech for the opening of the National Japanese government in this year. Refusing to use the speech penned by his attendants, instead making use of a speech that he himself wrote, he would impress every member of the elected parliament, noble lord and even the emperor. It was later said that he took on much of his father's political charisma and capability.
- At the ages of 51 and 48, Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi and Lady Chiyo celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with the same itinerary as their honeymoon trip. Travelling in incognito and with discrete security made up of the best Crow agents, they would later pass through the mystical prefecture of Furuya where the Great Spirit Inari would invite them to dine and stay the night. Tomorrow morning, the two would wake up in utter shock as their maladies such as aching joints, failing eyesight and for a large part, the physical manifestations of their age disappeared. Fox goddess Inari would later tell them that she fed the two the fruit that the First Kirin Lord once ate to preserve his youth and strength, and that they would the last humans to ever eat it as it is now extinct. She would also tease the two for being "unusually procreative despite their age", something that would make the two blush in utter embarrassment.
- Three months after their wedding anniversary, Lord Iwasawa and Lady Chiyo would receive an extremely unexpected news. Lady Chiyo is pregnant, and they are having triplets. Even as the most renown doctor in Japan, Lord Iwasawa can barely believe that news, requesting for multiple tests to make sure that it isn't just a false positive. However, the gynecologist would hand an ultrasound image of the three fetuses, showing that they really are having children this far in their years. While Lord Hiroshi is racking his brain for possible answers, it was Lady Chiyo who remembered that her husband received a blessing from the fox goddess decades ago regarding his "fertility". It was said that if not for the pleading of Lady Akizuki Hisako, Lord Hiroshi would've burned the mountain temple in Naka castle. In the end, the couple accepted this "blessing" and broke the news to their children who were just as shocked at them.
- Japan reached its milestone of having over 60% of its energy source from nuclear energy, most of which run through nuclear fission, but a few prototype facilities making use of nuclear fusion. Because of this and the relative weakening of the private corporations' holdings in the national power grid, the entire industry was nationalized in the form of a GOCC.
- The oversupply of computers in Japan and the extremely low cost of producing electricity made it possible for every household to have their own computer set. With this, the emergence of video games as an industry and sport began to proliferate from its humble hobbyist beginnings.
- At this point in time, the entire "otaku" industry in Japan surpassed a total value of 10 billion yen. Chief among these are the value of the animation industry that not only acted as entertainment but also a cultural weapon.
[1576]
- The decade later dubbed as the "golden decade" was cut right at the start of the year when Sister Camilla Dormer was almost assassinated inside her monastery by a man later found dead in an alleyway. However, it wasn't the fact that she was almost killed that gained everyone's shock but instead, the identity of the man who was undoubtedly British. While most thought that this was nothing but a coincidence, Sister Camilla believed that this was a serious attempt to make sure that she cannot come back to threaten the succession back in Britain.
- In the Philippines, a suspiciously large number of Spanish ships began to gather in their trading outposts. While the Spaniards reasoned that they brought the large fleet of ships because they intend to maximize their profits once they arrive back in Europe, the Philippine government still found it suspicious and informed its allies about it.
- The same incident happened in China where a large Portuguese and French fleet arrived under the guise of trading. However, unlike the Philippines, China never told anyone about this, fearing that if they let their neighboring countries know that they are inundated by foreign traders, it would bring more of them, turning the local market into a haywire.
- After her stay in Fuku, Princess Yamaguchi Kaede prepared to return to Korea to fulfill her job as ambassador. However, she was held back by the Yamaguchi clan's elders who told her to stay for a while more to look into prospective suitors as she is almost beyond a marriageable age. Informing her subordinates about this, she was allowed to take a few weeks' more of leave.
- Without a warning, China erupted into a civil war after a rebellion began at the western frontier provinces and inched closer day by day towards the heartlands of the empire. Spies would later report that leading the rebellion was the disowned and exiled former Prince Mao Jun Hie and his cabal of veteran commanders and subordinates. Although they are weakened by a bad economic state and lackluster military force, the Chinese Imperial army mobilized to meet the rebellion in battle, refusing the assistance offered by Japan.
- The sudden eruption of war in China made Korea take on a defensive posture in preparation for a possible "pouring out" of the conflicts into their borders. This forced Joseon to maintain an isolationist policy, stifling economic trade and relations while the conflict near them is raging.
- During a hearing in the national Japanese government, the seat of Lord Yamaguchi was noticeably empty. When asked about it, the liaison officer said that the daimyo was sick and may not be able to attend the later hearings.
- For the first time in many years, Lord Iwasawa would be led to the "Aviary", the main headquarters of Kiko's Intelligence agency, where Director Akizuki Minori would brief him about suspicious events happening all across the country and even in the neighboring lands. While Director Akizuki never gave a conclusive answer about what it could be, he cautioned his master to be vigilant and "adopt the same mindset that saved us during the war".
- Heeding his subordinate's advice, Lord Iwasawa would discretely raise the state of readiness of Kiko's armed forces into an immediate defensive posture. He would also tell Lady Kusanagi and Shogun Amanogawa about this, both of them agreeing that all of these strange events cannot be so easily explained as coincidental.
- In a sudden and shocking turn of events, former Prince Mao Jun Hie would win in the civil war in a matter of months, killing his own father and taking all of China as his own. The speed of the rebellion shocked everyone who learned about it, even Japan who had a better spy network in China than its own imperial government. As soon as he usurped control over the country, he began his reign by declaring one task to be done with all haste: Invade and take over Korea and Japan.
- After learning of the agenda set by the new Chinese emperor, the Japanese combined parliament and the Shogunate agreed to try and diffuse the situation diplomatically, sending envoys to the capital of Daiping, bearing both warnings and conditions for the Chinese Emperor. However, their ship was turned away at the port, with the messenger sent to them saying that China is not accepting "empty words" again. With that, Japan moved to secure its borders, setting a limited mobilization of its troops to ensure their people and lands' safety.
- Both Prussia and Britain learned of the events in the east through their embassies and even though they are experiencing their own hardships in Europe, they sent their diplomats to the east with the intention of leveraging their influence in the trading routes there. However, this did nothing but render their trade relations with China broken and unfavorable.
- Bothered with the repeated absences of Lord Yamaguchi Koshiro in the meetings of the House of Lords, as well as the calls he sent through his personal telephone not being picked up, Lord Iwasawa sent for a Crow agent to Fuku to look into it. However, the agent wouldn't come back and after he sent another after the last one's tracks, it was discovered that the Crow agent was killed, likely by an assassin of the same caliber. This raised Lord Iwasawa's suspicion enough to request a meeting regarding the recent events around them.
- In what can only be considered as an unfortunate yet comedic blunder, Lady Chiyo's very late pregnancy was leaked to the public, with many among the news industry initially thinking that it was nothing but a hoax until an unknown whistleblower secured a photo of Lady Chiyo with her large abdomen. Due to this, Naka castle's postal box was filled with questions from all kinds of people about some "secret elixir" that she took to have a pregnancy this late in her years, something that she would answer in a television interview by saying "I really don't know. I guess we just really love each other too much". While this was seen initially as a very random coverage in the news, it was actually a well-executed move by Lady Chiyo who intentionally leaked her pregnancy to the press. She wanted to distract people from the terrible news that they have been hearing for a while, buying time for her husband and the other leaders to handle these issues without much public pressure.
- In both the Imperial and Shogunate capital, rumors of an underground organization securing food and munitions began to go around the public attention. While at first, it was dismissed as nothing more than a hoax, a report by several Shogunate Legion officers proved that there are indeed some suspicious purchases that happened all across Japan. With this, Shogun Amanogawa made his own move to get to the bottom of this.
- While filming for another movie, Princess Mariko was almost shot to death by a sniper, with the bullet instead grazing her helmet that she was wearing as part of her movie role as Lady Kusanagi Kyoko. Without missing a beat, countless Crow agents imbedded in the movie's support personnel went after the assailant's tracks, finding his sniper spot and later, the person himself who was taken to a safe house to be interrogated. However, as soon as the assassin faced Director Minori and told him to "do try to keep your master and her loved ones safe, even if it costs your life", he would take a cyanide pill that he hid within a fake tooth in his mouth.
- With the attempt on her life proving Lord Iwasawa's suspicions that conflict is beginning once again in Japan, he proposed for the House of Lords to secure the country for a possible war. While they understood that there is indeed a danger around them, the other Daimyos dismissed the possibility of war as unlikely. This would be a huge mistake as after the meeting was finished and these lords returned to their lands, many among them would be assassinated, a majority of which would return home as cold corpses.
- The multiple assassinations garnered the public's fears and outrage. With a majority of the lords gone, it was decided for the Shogunate and the Southern Quartet Alliance to take the reins of the nation once again and try to locate this group that has now been officially dubbed as "terrorists".
- Right at the moment when Lady Chiyo is giving birth, an explosion at the gates of Naka castle happened and a force of over 1000-armed men stormed the palace. While initially, the castle's force was barely enough to stop this force, reinforcements from both the Nagisa and Shimura clans, led by Prince Haruo, would arrive and overwhelm them from behind. Once he was sure that the castle was cleared, Prince Haruo headed to the saferoom where his mother and newborn siblings were transported and found out that they were all safe.
- With the attack in Naka castle, it became official that Japan is in another state of war. Martial law was set by the government and the army was mobilized to sweep the entire country for the locations and identity of the terrorist group. While every prefecture cooperated, there was one outlier: Fuku Prefecture.
- The truth about everything would only come to light after horse bearing a wounded woman arrived at the Aoyama manor of Aoya. After being brought inside and her wounds tended to, it was revealed that the woman is Princess Yamaguchi Kaede, who after waking up, insisted to contact Naka castle to tell them one thing: "Fuku has fallen to the enemy's hands. Their name is the "Women of the Night" and they are being led by Mistress Nayoko who is holding my brother hostage."
- At the exact moment that she made a call to Naka to inform them about what happened in Fuku, the Yamaguchi Rebellion began, plunging Japan into a state of civil war.
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